Austin called on China to “refrain from further destabilizing actions” in Taiwan, according to a US statement issued after the first round of talks. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has denounced China’s “absurd” claims of sovereignty and thanked the United States for its support. “Taiwan has never been under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government and the people of Taiwan will not succumb to threats of violence from the Chinese government,” said ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou. The Pentagon said in a statement that Austin “reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability throughout the region.” [Taiwan] Narrow, opposition to unilateral changes in the status quo, and called [China] refrain from further destabilizing actions towards Taiwan “. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Vietnam’s Defense Minister Phan Van Giang at the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit. Photo: Roslan Rahman / AFP / Getty Images Tensions in Taiwan have escalated sharply due to the growing incursions of Chinese aircraft into the island’s air defense zone (ADIZ). Joe Biden, during a visit to Japan in May, said Washington would defend Taiwan militarily if attacked by China. Since then, the White House has insisted that its policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether or not to intervene has not changed. Wei Fenghe reportedly told Austin that Beijing would “crush any plan for Taiwan’s independence and resolutely support the unification of the homeland.” Concerned over China-Taiwan tensions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a keynote address that his government would consider a pre-emptive strike because “Ukraine today may be tomorrow.” East Asia “. “People need to be ‘prepared for the emergence of an entity that violates the peace and security of other countries by force or threat without following the rules,’” he said. He did not name China in his speech, but repeatedly called for “a rule-based international order.” Kishida said he would work out a “free and open Indo-Pacific peace plan” by next spring in which Japan would provide development aid, patrol boats, law enforcement at sea and other aid to Southeast Asia, and of the Pacific. help them better protect themselves. Japan will provide such support to at least 20 countries, train at least 800 maritime security personnel and provide about $ 2 billion in assistance over the next three years, he said. Kishida told his audience that strengthening Japan’s defense would be transparent and within the scope of its constitution. He said the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region was deteriorating due to rising tensions in the seas of eastern and southern China and around Taiwan. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threat to use nuclear weapons have made matters worse, but the trend must be reversed, Kishida said, noting his position as the leader of the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack. “I have to admit that the path to a world without nuclear weapons has become even more difficult,” Kishida said. He described repeated ballistic missiles fired by North Korea, including the ICBM, and the development of nuclear weapons as a serious threat to regional peace and stability. “The opaque accumulation of military capability, including nuclear arsenals, around Japan has become a serious regional security concern,” he said. The threat could hurt non-proliferation efforts by creating a reluctance for nuclear weapons holders to abandon them and a desire, among other things, to develop them, Kishida said. In addition to Taiwan, China and the United States have disagreed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Washington accusing Beijing of providing tacit support to Moscow. China has called for talks to end the war, but has stopped condemning Russia’s actions and has repeatedly criticized US arms donations to Ukraine. China’s expansionist claims to the South China Sea have also sparked tensions with Washington. Austin will address the forum on Saturday, followed by Wei on Sunday. The summit will last from June 10 to 12 and will be held for the first time since 2019 after a two-day postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With Reuters, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
